MoFo Life Sciences

May 14, 2020 - United States, FDA, COVID-19, Intellectual Property
Free Prioritized Examination for COVID-19 Patent Applications
By: Sejin Ahn and Desmond P. O'Sullivan
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced a Prioritized Examination Pilot Program for COVID-19-related patent applications. To qualify, an applicant must be a small entity or micro-entity and the application must contain at least one claim covering products or process that are
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May 12, 2020 - AI + Robotics, United States, Intellectual Property
The USPTO Says No to Naming AI as a Patent Inventor
By: Anna Yuan and Karen G Potter
The increase in AI-related patent filings in the past few years has given rise to unique questions about the current patent system. In particular, the question of whether an AI system can or should be named as an inventor on a patent application has
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May 06, 2020 - United States, COVID-19, United Kingdom, European Union, Intellectual Property
Patent Offices Extend Certain Deadlines, but Proceed With Caution
By: Desmond P. O'Sullivan
Patent applicants facing a funds shortage because of COVID-19 may be glad to hear that many patent offices have extended certain patent prosecution deadlines. For example, the U.S. Patent Office has extended various patent deadlines until June 1, 2020 and the European Patent Office
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April 16, 2020 - United States, COVID-19, United Kingdom, European Union, Healthcare, Intellectual Property
Germany, UK, USA: Are Patent Exceptions the Cure to COVID-19?
By: Wolfgang Schönig, Alistair Maughan and Robert Grohmann
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread globally, the life sciences industry is at the forefront of addressing the urgent need for pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, ventilators, and personal protective equipment capable of helping to contain the surge. While the laws of many countries provide for
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March 24, 2020 - COVID-19, European Union, Regulatory, Intellectual Property
Hard Knocks Keep Coming for Europe’s Unified Patent Court
By: Wolfgang Schönig and Robert Grohmann
With brexited UK announcing that it will not join Europe’s long-awaited Unified Patent Court (UPC), the establishment of an efficient pan-European patent litigation system faces ever‑mounting challenges. Last Friday, the German Federal Constitutional Court declared that the German Act of Approval of the UPC
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February 20, 2020 - United States, Intellectual Property
New USPTO Rule Likely to Increase Spam
By: Muzamil Huq
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) just issued new rules that directly affect trademark owners. Going forward, trademark applicants, registrants, and parties to a proceeding before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board will need to provide their email address in USPTO filings.
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February 13, 2020 - AI + Robotics, European Union, Intellectual Property
CAN AI BE AN INVENTOR? NOT AT THE EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE
By: Alistair Maughan and Anna Yuan
The European Patent Office has denied two patent applications on the grounds that an AI system cannot be listed as the inventor. For the first time, the European Patent Office (EPO) has issued a ruling on its approach to patent applications that designate artificial
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January 23, 2020 - United States, Agtech, Regulatory, Intellectual Property
Plant Variety Protection Office Now Accepting Applications For Asexually Reproduced Plants
By: Liz Freeman Rosenzweig, Cory Ellison and Michael R. Ward
On January 6, 2020, the Plant Variety Protection Office (PVPO) released the final version of its much-anticipated rule to open Plant Variety Protection (PVP) to asexually reproduced plants. Publication of this rule means that the PVPO is now accepting applications for all species of
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December 19, 2019 - AI + Robotics, Global, Data Analytics, Intellectual Property
Global IP Policy in the Age of AI
By: Karen G Potter
Between 2013 and 2016, the number of Artificial Intelligence (AI) related patent applications in the life sciences and medical sciences grew by about 40% * , and, with continuing advances in technology, has likely increased substantially since 2016. Although this finding may not come
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December 12, 2019 - Licensing + Commercial, Intellectual Property, Asia
Crossing Borders
By: Janet Xiao
Partner Janet Xiao, who leads the firm’s China Life Sciences Group, co-authored an article with associate Can Cui for Intellectual Property Magazine , titled “ Crossing Borders ,” which explores technology transfer opportunities emerging from import rules in China. The authors note that Chinese
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